The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1887-10-20
ThEPUBLIc LANDS.
synopsis of the Annual Report Of
the Commissioner of the Cener.
al Land Office.
Fraudulent Land Entries and Rail-
road Lands Come In for Very
LARGE Share Of Attention.

OAOIuK CAUlZeu6, eSpeClaii.s from SeCClorS seek
ing actual homes on public lands. Ihave no
word to recall which has hitherto been ut.
tered touching the aggravated misappro
priations to which public lands have been
subjected through improvident laws and
inefficient methods, and to which they are
still exposed under the present wasteful
and fraud.inspiring systems OF dis.
posal. To prevent the despoil.
ment and unlawful acquisition OF public.
domain and to restore to the people whose
heritage it is land iraudulently obtained,
have been objects constantly in view, and
there is no regret to express or apology to
pose have aroused the hostility OF a class
OF men with whose interests they have
been in conflict. The operations OF the
past year have been, as previously, con.
Quoted under the discouragement OF
inadequate appropriations; but with
the limited means at my disposal re.
suits have been achieved that
confirm the earlier statements OF the vast
ness OF this field OF reform, the confines OF
which only have been explored. The fol.
lowing statement shows the amount OF
since March 4, 1885, and the amount now
pending action for recovery under recon-
mendations from this office: Restored to
public domain within railroad limits, s.
95S, 1T. Area within railroad indemnity
limits, 21,323.6OO Private land claims,
$4,000. Fraudulent entries and can
celed, 100000. Invalid swamp and
other state selections Cancelled, &c.,
7O4. Total restored to the public
domain, 81, S24,4S1 Recovery OF lands
within railroad limits recommended and
1890. Suits recommended for recovery
oil lands within railroad limits, 500, OS5.
Land adjudged by commissioner to be sub
ject to recovery under the adjustment uf
railroad grants so far as such adjustments
have been completed, 2,S97, $3.50. Recon-
mcndatiOns made to congress to reject
private land claims hitherto reported ia
vorably. 4, 732.479. Surveys ordered re.
Quoting areas OF private land claims, 629,-
500. Suits to vacate private land patents,
$50, 255. Total. 9.499.49O.
OF public surveys in the various states
and territories the commissioner says:
made during the year were OF lands for al
lotment to Indians within the Lower
Brule reservation. Forty towns were sur
yeyed under contract OF former years.
There have been many applications by
settlers for surveys in Dakato, but in
view OF the limited appropriations the
sum of IS, 600 only could be apportioned
to that district for the current fiscal year.
Montana-The progress in office work
on agricultural surveys was small, in con-
sequence OF the totally insufficient appro
priations for clerk hire for 1887. During
the year 1885 contracts were let amount
ing to S23, $50 for surveys public lands;
mono OF the work was returned during the
Year ending 1886, but in several deputies
made returns, the principal portion OF
which remains uneXamined for want OF
clerical force. The surveyor declined to
make any recommendation as to further
surveys in bis district, believing it
necessary that provision be made for
the office work on surveys already con.
tracted for before entering upon addition
al surveys. Important surveys in this
territory for use in suits in the courts in.
volving pecuniary interest to the govern
ment OF upward 81, 100000 could not be
contracted for at the rates allowed by
the present appropriation acts of con-
gress.
He makes this recommendation:
The surveyor general strenuously urges
that congress should pass a statute OF
limitation fixing a time within
alter required. Such recommendation
has for several years been made by this
Office, and I renew it as the first step re-
quisite to a settlement OF such claims. I
also urge, as a matter OF tho highest pub.
lie importance, that congress take up the
cases re examined and reported by the sur
veyor general and dispose OF the same in
the light OF the investigations that have
been made, or remit all pending and accru-
ing cases to this office and department for
final action.
SWAMP LAND CLAIMS.
Otswamp land claims the report says:
The claims presented under the act Of
congress relating to swamp and overflow.
ed lands have reached the enormous
amount OF n, 4O7. 273 acres, and patents
have been issued for Sc, TAB, 735 acres, al
though the provisions OF the grant have
only been extended to fifteen OF the public
land states and do not apply to land in
the territories. In Minnesota, the field
notes OF the public surveys have been
adopted as the basis OF adjustment of
the claims OF the state to swamp lands
Aftdavits filed in this office and
information received from other sources
show that many returns OF surveys, es-
pecially in the northeastern part Of the
state have been falsely and corruptly
made in the interests OF railroad and 9th.
er corporations having grants OF swamp
ing to have purchased such lands from tn
state and that many tracts valuable for
agricultural or for timber or ore and not
in any sense swamp or overlooked lands,
have been fraudulently returned rs bein:
Of that character. A rigid investigation
OF these claims by competent agents has
now been instituted.
The report says: One thousand and
eleven cases OF deprcdations or trcspass
have been reported upon, involving q val
,ue in timber and the product thereof
amounting to Sc, las, $685. recoverable
to the United States. The total amount
actually recovered to the government dur.
ing the last year by Judgment files, sales OF
timber and compromises so far. On record
i'm this Office is $12S, 642,Oo being S53,.
642.O9 in excess of the appropriation.
nearly all OF which was received the first
half OF the fiscal year.
GETS CRACK At CONGRESS.
He scores his party in congress heavy
"side wipe' for allowing appropriation
bills to fall, and says that for the lack OF
funds to pay the witnesses the suits
against Sierra Lumber company in Cali.
fornia and the Northern Pacific Railroad
company in Idaho are likely to fall through.
Next year Sparks wants fifty special tim
Der agents and S15O,OOO. The re.
port repeats recommendations OF
former years, regarding reform OF
the land laws. lie recommends the
segregation OF timber lands for general
entry, the throwing open of abundone
military reservations to homestead entry,
a law authorizing process for witnesses in
land cases before registers and receivers,
the abolition OF land office fees and sal
aries for registers and receivers, the regu-
lation of attesting officers, the repeal
OF the REIMBURSEMENT law and
an appropriation OF $4,000 per
year for the employing OF
special counsel in land cases in the courts.
The report gives the estimates for Office
work and clerk hire for the ensuing year.
The total estimates are SASS, 63G as
against S1,5Os, $50 appropriated for the
present fiscal year.
> On the subject OF the forfeiture of rail-
road land grants, the commissioner quotes
from his last annual report and adds:
l renew the recommendation that forfeit
ure be declared in all cases in which the
roads were not completed within the time
and in the manner conditioned in the re-
spective grants.
In the course Of his remarks on land
frauds, Sparks says:
; Such a record of crime as that shown by
investigations made by special agents
during the last two wears i3 rarely to he